Step 5- Developments and Targets

Reviewing developments in hairdressing regularly and keeping your skills up to dateHairdressing is a rapidly changing industry. If you wish to be a part of a busy salon that offers the latest trends and services, you will need to regularly update your skills by attending workshops and courses in cutting, colouring, and so on. Various companies and suppliers, such as Wella or L’Oreal, run such courses.

You should also purchase and read trade journals. These will give you the latest information and often include step-by-step photos of new techniques. At work, you should set aside time to discuss new products that may be coming on to the market with manufacturers’ representatives who may call at your salon.

You need to be aware of what is happening in the industry to enable you to offer the best and most current services to your clients. For example, if a client came into your salon with the latest copy of a fashion magazine and asked you to reproduce one of the hairstyles shown inside but you did not have the expertise to carry out this service, how would you feel? What image would you be portraying of the salon? Would the client have confidence in you and come back? Self-development and training are important to make sure you do not become stale or lose interest or clients by poor product knowledge or skills.

Agreeing and reviewing targets regularly to develop your future personal development planLinked into the appraisal system of monitoring performance is the setting of targets for an action plan to improve performance at work. Here are some SMART guidelines to help you:

Specific � have particular aims in mind rather than too grand an idea. Set a goal specific to you, for example, �I want to complete two assessments each week.’

Measurable � make sure you are able to measure your aims with a start and a finish. Assessments can be measured against the NVQ performance criteria and ranges. You must know where you are now and where you want to be. For example, product sales might be on average �50 per day and a ten per cent increase would take that to �55 per day.

Achievable � aim for something that can be realised. You could have a short-term target, for example, to complete an NVQ unit by a certain date.

Realistic � be sensible in your aims, for example, doing ten cuts per hour is not realistic. How long would it take you to cover all the performance criteria and ranges in one unit?

Timed � you should set a timescale in which to achieve your target, for example, �By next month I will improve my timekeeping by 50 per cent,’ or, �By Christmas I am going to have my portfolio for Unit G1 ready to be signed off by my assessor.’

How often you decide to review your set targets is up to you and your salon, but shortterm targets are usually easier to manage.

You are in control of your own destiny. If you regularly review how you are doing at work you will be more focused on achieving set targets. Do not let opportunities pass you by because you are too lazy to have a development plan for your future.